Evil Eye (1963)

The ABC Murders

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Shot in black-and-white, Mario Bava's The Girl Who Knew Too Much (a.k.a. The Evil Eye) (1963) is an example of giallo, or a kind of stylish, yet pulpy thriller with sexy and sometimes comic overtones. It's a bit plot-heavy for Bava, but it's still beautifully filmed. Leticia Roman stars as a woman who arrives in Rome to visit a sick aunt, witnesses a murder, and becomes a potential victim herself. Cult star John Saxon (years before Enter the Dragon or Black Christmas) co-stars as a helpful doctor. This one is currently only available in Italian, and so we never get to hear Saxon's own voice.

In 2015, Kino Lorber came to the rescue with a fantastic new Blu-ray release. It includes the Girl Who Knew Too Much cut, which runs 86 minutes in Italian, and the Evil Eye cut, which was the American, AIP release, in English (with Saxon's voice) and running 92 minutes. Bava biographer Tim Lucas provides a commentary track on the Italian version to help identify the differences. Trailers are also included.